A friendship to die for
by Breakthru
Summary: Merlin is a sorcerer and the servant of prince Arthur. Arthur doesn't know about his abilities. Despite their differences they are friends. An old sorceress has come to haunt Camelot. She forms a threat against everybody. Uther wants to hunt her down. The hunt for the sorceress shapes their friendship. Note: it isn't like the show, just like some of the characters and their traits.
1. Chapter 1

Slowly Merlin opened his eyes. A sound down the hall had awoken him. His head was pounding. He had been up all night studying his new magic book, which Gaius had given him. He read so much last night that he forgot the time. He noticed a dim light coming through the window. The sun was already coming up. It showed his messy room. Clothes were all over the floor along with his study notes.

"MERLIN!" The door slammed open and Arthur entered his bedroom. He looked annoyed. His hair wasn't brushed. He looked like he'd just stepped out of bed.

Merlin jolted out of bed. He overslept. Gaius probably tried waking him up but without succes. "Arthur, I am so sorry. I must have…"

Arthur interrupted him. "I really don't want to hear it, Merlin. Gaius told me already. I know that you spent the night at the tavern." Their eyes met. They were filled with disappointment. Merlin's heart sunk. He had asked Gaius to not use the tavern as an excuse anymore. Arthur could begin to think he was an alcoholic.

"Hurry up! My father wants to have all the knights in the throne room this afternoon. I too have to be there and I don't even have a clean shirt!" He pointed at his own clothes. They were full of grass stains and filth. Merlin couldn't help but to grin when he saw that Arthur's shirt was on backwards.

"Did you dress yourself?" The look that Arthur gave him made it even funnier.

"Yes, Merlin! I am capable of dressing myself! I don't need a servant to pick my clothes and to dress me!" Merlin stayed quiet and raised his eyebrows. He stared at Arthur's shirt. Arthur glanced down and noticed his mistake. He pointed in the direction of Merlin's face. "Shut up, Merlin!"

After apologizing, Arthur left. Merlin had been Arthur's manservant for a few months now. Some days he loathed the job, other days he enjoyed it. Not that he had a choice in the matter. After his arrival in Camelot, he'd saved Arthur's life. His father Uther, the king, thanked him by making him the personal servant of Arthur. The thought of quitting had crossed his mind, until Kilgharrah told him that it was his destiny to be at the side of the once and future king. Kilgharrah was an old dragon, captured by Uther. The last of his kind. He lived below the castle in a mouldy cave.

If only Uther knew that he was sorcerer, he would be killed without any second thought. Merlin never used his magic for anything evil. He practiced it to help Arthur. Not that Arthur knew that he was a sorcerer. Merlin didn't know what he would do once his secret would be uncovered. To be honest, he didn't want to find out. In the time they had been together and had been tolerating each other, they had grown quite close. They had become friends. To put his friend in such a position was something he didn't want to do.

"The tavern, Gaius? You couldn't think of a better excuse?" Merlin asked after leaving his bedroom. He straightened his shirt before walking over to the dining table. A bowl filled with porridge and a small piece of bread was ready for him. It smelled nice. It smelled like home to him. He noticed the innocent look Gaius gave him.

"What was I supposed to say? It's the most believable thing." Merlin rolled his eyes in response and picked up his spoon. He was hungry. While he ate, Gaius informed him about his plans for the morning. He would gather herbs and visit Cole, an old patient of him who couldn't see properly. This was their usual routine in the morning. Merlin loved listening to his old friend in the morning. He stayed quiet and listened to the man. It was something he enjoyed. However, this morning something was off. Gaius was blabbering about his day but Merlin suspected that he was holding something important from him. He knew that prying wouldn't work, so he decided to ignore his feeling. He figured Gaius would be ready to tell him at some point.

"Breakfast was lovely, thank you. I better go and see Arthur. I really don't know how he managed without me." he announced.

After they said their goodbyes, he hurried to Arthur's chambers. On the way he picked up breakfast for Arthur. Merlin wasn't sure if he already ate breakfast but he wanted to make it up with his prince. Upon entering the room, a horrible smell overwhelmed him. His friend was sitting on his bed in the dark with a dirty shirt in his hands. He handed his shirt over and took his breakfast.  
The big red curtains were closed. They let in just enough light to see. To get rid of the smell, he moved to open the curtains and pushed open the window. Fresh air entered the room. It was lovely weather outside. A light breeze with the sun out. Summer was right around the corner. Everyone could sense it. They all had this excitement in their walk. It was noticeable. Summer in Camelot meant a time of happiness.

"Think you can get that shirt clean for this afternoon?" Arthur's question made him turn around. There was not a chance that this shirt would be clean and dry before noon. Not without his magic.

"Yeah sure, just have to get rid of that horrible smell." Merlin sniffed the shirt and made a gagging noise. In return he got a pillow thrown at his head. "Do you want to muck out the stables as well?" threatened Arthur.

"Oh no, sire. I better get to work and wash your clothes." He quickly gathered all the dirty clothes. The bedroom was a mess but it looked a little bit better when all the clothes were gone. While he was gathering clothes, Arthur complained about his secretive father and ate his breakfast. He didn't like surprises, especially when they came from his father. Before the complaints could continue, Merlin excused himself and went to the laundry room.

It was quiet in the castle. The only people he saw were other servants. He encountered Gwen. She was the servant of Morgana. Morgana was the king's ward. She had always been nice to him. It seemed like Gwen was in a hurry. She almost bumped in to him. "Oh I'm so sorry, Merlin."

"Don't worry about it. You seem to be in a hurry?" He stepped out of her way.

"I can't find Morgana's favorite dress!" she sighed. She noticed all the laundry in his hands. "If you are going to the laundry room, can you check for a red dress? You'll recognize it when you see it." He nodded in response and wished her luck with her search. When he entered the laundry room, he noticed that no one was there. However, he decided to immediately get busy.

* * *

Merlin handed Arthur his clothes. Not a stain was to be found on the clothes. They looked like they were new.

"You were washing my clothes all morning? It took you that long?" A thank you from a Pendragon was rare. Merlin hadn't been busy with the laundry all morning. He used magic to clean the dirty clothes. It took him just a few seconds. It wasn't the first time he had used such a spell. The rest of the morning he had spent reading the remainder of his book in the laundry room. He wanted to learn everything about magic. It was important to him.

"They are clean, sire." He knew Arthur probably needed help with dressing himself but he wanted to hear him say it. Only to tease him. Arthur took off his dirty shirt. Merlin started to back away when Arthur tried to put on his clean shirt. It already started to go wrong when he put his head in the wrong hole.

"Is that all for now? Do you want me to clean up your breakfast and bring you your lunch?"

An agitated sigh made him chuckle. "Merlin, come and help me. I can't do this myself!" the prince commanded. Merlin bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. He then proceeded to help Arthur dress himself. A white shirt with dark pants. It suited him but it was missing something. Merlin handed him his belt and watched as Arthur struggled with the belt. He made a note to himself to pry another hole in it. It wasn't that Arthur was getting fat. He was just adding some extra padding.

"Let's go and see my father." Arthur said after he was ready. They would be a bit late. They walked through the door and went downstairs. The castle never lost her beauty throughout the years. Merlin ran his hands over the bricks. They were cold. If only those walls could talk. The secrets they would unfold would be huge. He wondered how much had happened here.

Upon arrival at the entrance of the throne room Arthur asked how he looked. He would never cease amaze Merlin with these kind of questions. The guards opened the giant wooden doors for him and Arthur. He slowed down so Arthur would be the first to enter the room. The room was huge. On the ceiling there were magnificent paintings. Some of angels holding their sword, others were kings busy doing certain acts. When Merlin first saw this room, it cut off his breath. It was beautiful.

All the knights were already there. Just like Uther and Gaius. The last was holding a piece paper. Merlin couldn't see what was on it.  
The knights had formed two lines, so that, when they entered, they would walk in between the two walls of men. Merlin knew his place and went to stand in front of the window next to Gaius. Their place was next to the knights. They didn't stand out against the crowd.  
They nodded at each other and both watched as Arthur walked up to his father, greeted him and went to stand next to him. Uther stood in front of his throne and was in full armor. A rare sight to see. The king didn't go on many missions. He usually would send out his son. He looked tired. Something must have been troubling him.

Now that the prince and king stood next to each other, you could see that there wasn't any resemblance between the two. Arthur was blond, Uther had dark hair. Arthur was tall and broad. He had the body of a swordsman. Uther was tiny and his body showed the wealth of his nation. Back in the day he might have had a body like a fighter. If you held a painting of Arthur next to him, you would be able to see how much they looked like each other. However, the few paintings of her had been taken off the wall. They hung in Arthur's chambers. The paintings probably saddened Uther too much.

"Good afternoon everyone," Uther said as he turned his attention to the crowd in front of him. "I have called upon you today for something very worrisome. The outer villages have reported multiple sightings of a sorceress. Gaius has been able to identify her. Her name is Nimueh, a very dangerous woman." Uther paused as he looked at Gaius for conformation. Gaius nodded and handed him the piece of paper. The room was dead silent. Everyone realized the importance of this message. Magic was strictly forbidden. The only way to fight fire was to put it out. The knights wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone with magic. Magic had raged through the lands before, leaving a trail of terror and death.

"I thought that she had died but unfortunately she has come to haunt Camelot once more. I can not tolerate her presence around the people of Camelot," Uther continued. He held up the paper and showed it to the knights. On it was a drawing of a woman. She had beautiful long dark hair. However, her eyes were standing out the most. There was this look in her eyes which gave everyone the chills. Her stare was threatening. The person, who drew it, had captured it perfectly.

"This is her. I want you all to ride out and search the woods. I warn you to tread with caution. She might not look this anymore. She is a very sly woman. Not to mention powerful. We will search until we have found her." Uther handed the paper back to Gaius. "I will join you in the search of this sorceress! Let us bring peace to Camelot once more!" He pulled out his sword and held it in his right hand. "For the love of Camelot!" he shouted. His son and every knight in the room copied him and started chanting. It was impressive to see. All these men were prepared to give their lives for their king and their prince. Slowly, they all left to prepare for the search. Uther motioned for Arthur to stay behind. They probably had some details to discuss.

"Merlin, go to my chambers and prepare my armor," Arthur said as he turned to his father. Merlin nodded in response and followed Gaius out of the room. He struggled to keep up with him. Gaius's mood had changed considerably compared with breakfast. He got worried about the mood change. It must be something serious with this sorceres.  
Merlin had never heard of this Nimueh, nor did he know that there was a sorceress on the loose. He was curious why Gaius hadn't said anything to him. Usually, he'd help him out with identifying someone or an object.

"Gaius, who is this Nimueh? Why didn't you ask for help with the search?" He searched for Gaius's eyes but the old man refused to look at him. His worry grew bigger in his stomach. What was the matter? Did he do something wrong? The silence between them made him doubt himself. The silence was broken when they arrived at their place.

"Merlin, I didn't need your help with the search, because when Uther told me about the consequences her victims suffered, I recognized her. I don't want you to go with Arthur on this search," Gaius explained. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, Merlin close behind him. "I forbid it."

"What? Why? Have I done something? He needs me," Merlin sputtered. "He and the knights don't stand a chance against a sorceress!"

Gaius sighed and went to sit down. "She is dangerous. She _will_ recognize you. She _will_ expose you!" he urged for him to sit down. "And when she will, you will be killed for what you are. I don't want you to take the risk. I can't lose you."

Merlin knew that he was like a son to Gaius and that the man would always look out for him. He was touched by the concern. He knew that he'd be a fool to ignore his concerns. He just didn't like the idea of Arthur heading in to a battle without him at his side. It was his destiny to protect the once and future king.

It wasn't the first time that he headed in to something dangerous because of Arthur. Gaius always worried about him, but this was the first time he tried to forbid Merlin to go along. Other conversations about his concerns hadn't been like this.

"I will be careful. I promise." He grabbed Gaius's hands. They felt rough. His hands were like workers hands. For as long as the people in Camelot could remember, Gaius had been the court's physician.

Merlin gave a light squeeze to reassure him. The worry, that he saw in Gaius's eyes when he glanced up, wasn't like anything he had seen before. "I have to prepare Arthur's armor. When I'm done, we can continue this conversation." Merlin felt him hesitate when he let go of his hands. He tried to be comforting by giving a smile. He stood up. "It's going to be okay." Gaius looked like he was about to protest, but decided not to. Merlin somewhat was glad that he didn't. A discussion was the last thing he wanted.

He walked out of the room. When he closed the room behind him, he felt very insecure. Such a conversation took a toll on his confidence. He leaned against the door with his back and closed his eyes. He had this ominous feeling of doom that he couldn't shake off.

A sudden pain almost caused him to fall to his knees. _"Don't go to her. It is not the right time. You are not supposed to meet her yet. Gaius is right."_ It was Kilgharrah. His loud voice was inside his head. It was like a loud whisper he couldn't shut out. Never had he felt this pain when talking to the old dragon. With a groan he pushed himself off the door and faltered to the armor room. Everything the dragon said was with a reason. Merlin suspected that the dragon knew what was to come. He shouldn't question anything the dragon said.  
However, he felt a bit distrusted with Kilgharrah. He knew that the dragon wanted to be free and that he would do anything to regain his freedom.

Dizzy and disorientated from the sudden pain he grabbed everything he needed for Arthur. He had polished the armor the day before. Arthur's armor was very recognizable. Out of all the armor it had the best quality there. The chest plate weighed a lot. Just like the hauberk.  
Last but not least, he grabbed Arthur's sword of the wall. A dragon was embedded in the handle. The sword was specially made for him by Gwen's father. He was the blacksmith of Camelot. He was excellent in forging the right sword with the right balance for the right person. Even a person with no knowledge about swords would know that this was a beauty.

He struggled to get to Arthur's chambers. The stairs didn't make his job easier but he managed. Once there he was surprised to see guards standing in front of the open doors. He wasn't sure if he was allowed inside but the guards didn't make a sound when he stepped inside. The horrible smell was gone. The window was still open. He put the armor down on the bed. Arthur wasn't there yet but Merlin figured he would be there soon.  
Outside on the square was a lot of noise. Most of the knights were probably busy saddling their horses. He went to look outside. There were probably twenty horses outside. Servants were running around, which made the horses nervous.

"You can't do this, father! You can't!" A screaming Arthur made Merlin turn around. Two guards had locked their arms with Arthur's arms and dragged him towards his bedroom. Uther was right behind them. Probably making sure that his son would make it to his chambers. Anger and despair was written on the prince's face. Merlin had never seen him this angry before.

"I can, Arthur, and I will. You don't get to have a say in the matter." The guards dragged him to a chair inside his bedroom and put him on it. "Your servant is here to keep you company." Uther turned to Merlin. "Bring his armor back to the armory and make sure he gets everything he needs." In response Merlin bowed. He had a idea of what was going on. This had never happened before. Usually Arthur got his way.

"Father, please. I ..." Arthur began to plead. Uther gave him the cold shoulder and focused his attention to the now four guards. "You make sure my son stays in his room. The only one allowed in and out of this room is his servant. You understand?" All the guards bowed as he left. One of the guards walked towards the door, watched Arthur sitting on his chair, almost as if he pitied his prince, and then closed the door.  
Living with Uther being your father wasn't easy. He was a strict and stern person. People say that he was different when he his wife was alive. She died while giving birth to their son. Her death was the first of many. It's been said that the king blames magic for her death. It started his war against magic.

It got awfully silent when they were alone. Merlin started gathering the armor. He didn't know what to say to his friend. It was a humiliation for Arthur. He felt bad for him. He knew that Arthur didn't want people to give their lives for his, and if they were, he wanted to be there. He hated it when he wasn't able to join the knights on a quest.

"No, put that down. Leave it." Arthur quickly got out of his chair when he noticed what his servant was doing. He snatched the stuff that Merlin had gathered. "It being here is not a problem. I won't use it anyway." His demeanor had changed. It was almost like he was saddened.

There was a slight moment where Merlin hesitated. He didn't know who to obey. His king or his prince? He chose the latter. "I'm sorry, Arthur," he whispered. "I know you wanted to join the search. You still want to, don't you?"

His question was left unanswered. Arthur put down his armor and grabbed a piece of paper. He wrote something down, folded it and handed it to Merlin. "Deliver this to Gaius. He'll know what I mean." There was something in his eyes. Merlin couldn't quite place it. "Now leave me."

Merlin walked to the door, knocked on it and stated his name. The door opened. Before he walked out of the prince's bedroom, he looked back over his shoulder. Arthur stood in the middle of his room. Sunlight hit him. It gave his appearance something magical. His shoulders were hanging. He looked defeated.


	2. Chapter 2

The guards shut the door. They remained silent as he walked away. He was burning with curiosity to see what the letter read. He wondered what Arthur would want form Gaius. It could be anything. For all he knew Arthur might want a sleep potion or something to calm him down. He put the letter in the pocket of his pants.

Usually, the castle would be filled with life at this hour. The only person he encountered was Morgana. She had a shocked expression on her face. When she noticed Merlin, she rushed over to him. She was wearing a gorgeous blue dress. It suited her. It brought out her figure.

"Is it true? Isn't Arthur allowed to go?"

He nodded. "It's true. He is in his chambers if you want to go and see him." She sighed and glanced behind him in the direction of Arthur's chambers. "However, Uther said that no one was allowed to enter." He didn't know why he neglected to mention that only he was allowed to visit.

She shook her heard. "No, I don't want to see him. He's probably upset. Me being there won't do any good. It would humiliate him even more." She hooked her arm through his arm. It made him feel very uncomfortable. He would consider them friends. They were polite to each other and could laugh with each other. Still, they were not this close. If anyone saw this, he would be punished. She was the king's ward after all. Uther wouldn't allow this behavior. He wanted to control who she saw. Not that she listened. She had a rebellious attitude towards the king, which frustrated him more than he would like to admit.

"So, if you aren't joining Arthur, I presume you are headed to Gaius?" She slowly started to walk, which forced him to go with her. She had a strong grip on his arm, as if she was afraid to fall. "I have to go to him anyway. My nightmares have returned. I was hoping if he could make some kind of sleep potion."

The subject interested him. He couldn't show too much interest. She might start to suspect that he knew more about it than he should. She had nightmares ever since her father died. They started to get worse by the day.  
Gaius and Merlin had been discussing the possibility of her having magic. The loss of her father could have triggered it. They weren't sure though. It troubled him that he couldn't mention the possibility of it to her. He had to protect his own identity.

"I am sorry to hear that. I'm sure he would make something for you. I really hope it will work this time," he answered. "I am heading home, yes." He couldn't help himself. He had to ask hear about her dreams. "Those dreams... What are they about? If I may ask so, my lady?"

"You may, Merlin." She was silent for a few seconds before continuing. "They come and go. They are usually about the people here in this castle. People I know. In my dreams a lot of people die. That is the scary part about them." They slowly walked downstairs. Morgana controlled their speed. Her grip tightened.

"Again, I'm sorry to hear you have trouble sleeping. I really hope they disappear quickly." Merlin didn't know what to say to her. It was awkward enough for him already. He felt like he playing with fire. Saying the wrong thing would upset her. Upsetting her meant the wrath of both Uther and Arthur. To Uther she was like a daughter, to Arthur a sister.

They had reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Gwen told me your red dress was missing. Did she find it?" He didn't want to get Gwen in trouble, but he had to say something.

She shook her head. Just as she was about to continue, she collapsed.

"Morgana!" His heart skipped a beat. He managed to break her fall by quickly grabbing her arm. She had turned pale. "Nonono, Morgana, wake up! What is the matter? Talk to me." There was no response. She was unconscious.

"Gaius!" He tried to carefully pick her up. One arm to support her legs, the other to support her back. Her head fell back when he picked her up. She wasn't too heavy. Luckily, the physician's room was just a few steps away.

A door down the hall opened. "Merlin? Was that you?" He heard Gaius ask.

"Yes! Please help her!" With caution he moved over to the old man. He didn't want to trip and drop her on the ground.

"What on earth happened to her? She's so pale." Gaius wondered. He tried to make room for her on his bed. With utmost care Merlin lowered her on to the bed. There still wasn't any response from Morgana. She just lied there.

"I don't know. We were walking and she just collapsed." The physician being there calmed him down a bit. His hands were shaking, probably from the rush of adrenaline. "She did tell me that her nightmares had returned. She dreamed about death roaming inside these castle walls. People she knows died in them."

"I think she collapsed because of the lack of sleep and something else. I'm not sure, I need to examine her." You could hear the worry in the physician's voice. Both of them were concerned about Morgana.

Merlin explained to Gaius what had happened with Arthur and his father. Gaius told him to handle Arhtur's wishes. Treating Morgana required his full attention. He didn't need Merlin's help. They discussed the idea of him riding out to look for Uther. They both disagreed on the idea. What could Uther do what Gaius couldn't? It would distract him from finding Nimueh. They did agree on telling Arthur. He needed to know.

Merlin took the piece of paper out of his pocket and opened it. The message wasn't meant for Gaius. It turned out to be for Merlin. How did he know? Well, the note was addressed to a certain dollop head. It's an insult he used for Arthur. There was an other word written. Arthur demanded a rope. Of course, Arthur would try to disobey his father. His stubbornness would get him killed one day. Even though Merlin would be disobeying the king's orders, he was happy to help out. The lives of the knights were at stake. When he'd be required to join Arthur, he could face Nimueh himself.

"What does he want? Is it something you can do?" Gaius asked while bringing in a fresh bucket with water. He grabbed a clean cloth, wetted it and wrung it out.

Merlin told him that Arthur needed a sleep potion and that he didn't need any help. Meanwhile, he was looking around the room for a rope. Gaius was a hoarder and had basically everything. He wasn't setting a great example for Merlin with all the mess, but right now he was thankful for the hoarding behavior of the old man.

When he noticed a rope, he went to search for the herbs needed for a sleep potion. It had to look real. While gathering the herbs, he focused his attention on the rope. The only thought he had was for the rope to come to him. He knew it worked. He felt himself getting a bit tired. It was one of the side effects of using magic.  
The rope slid over the ground towards him and slowly crawled up his legs. It went up to his chest, only to wrap itself around him. No one noticed. The herbs he put in a tiny leather bag.

Gaius dabbed the cloth softly on Morgana her forehead. Colour had returned to her cheeks. However, her condition was still worrisome. They couldn't figure out what had happened to her. The only thing they knew was that she was stable for the time being.

"I better go and deliver the herbs. Are you sure you don't need any help?" The old man turned around and dipped the cloth in the water again. He didn't notice Merlin's enlarged figure.

"No, just get back here when you're done with Arthur."

Merlin realized it might take some time before he got home again. He rushed over to Arthur's chambers. There he was greeted by the guards. They asked what business he had with Arthur. In response he held up the bag and said, "Something to help him sleep."

One of the guards held out his hand. They had to check whatever was coming in to the bedroom. After everything got their approval, he was allowed to enter.

Arthur stood in front of the window with his back turned to the door. In full armor nonetheless. His sword rested on his left hip. His left hand playing with the handle. "You managed to get it?" he asked when heard Merlin come in. The sunlight gave his hair a golden glow. The scenery was impressive. He moved away from the window and turned around, breaking the illusion.

"Yes, I got it. Along with a sleeping potion. It had to look real," he answered quietly. He didn't want to alert the guards outside by the door. Arthur furrowed his brow and took a long hard look at him. Merlin was about to ask what was wrong, when he continued.

"Is it my imagination or are you getting fat?"

Merlin scoffed and lifted up his shirt, revealing the rope wrapped around his chest. Arthur was pleasantly surprised and slapped his shoulder, probably leaving a red mark. Merlin groaned and rubbed his hand over his shoulder.

"Ah, come on, Merlin. Just a friendly slap. You know, horseplay and such," Arthur explained. His friend gave him an innocent look, as if he didn't know how hard he slapped him.

"Horseplay? Yeah, sure." He stopped rubbing his shoulder and began to loosen the rope. "So, how do we do this? We wait until the sun is down? I hold on to the rope and you climb down? Is that the idea?"

He asked for Arthur to hold one end of the rope, so that he could spin to free himself. He looked ridiculous, but it worked.

"Sort of. I don't think we could tie the rope to an object strong enough to hold me. So, you should lower me down. I think I have an extra pair of gloves in the cabinet over there." Merlin looked in the cabinet where his friend said it was. He found the gloves and tried them on. They were the right size for him.

"And no, we don't wait until dark. We go now."

"What? Now? Arthur, everybody's going to be able to see you climbing down the castle walls!"

Arthur smiled and nodded. "That's the point. No one would expect an escape during the day. We have got the element of surprise." He made it sound like it was a brilliant plan, which it wasn't. Merlin figured that he was impatient and wanted to get going. Arthur took his end of the rope and threw it out of the window.

"Wait, before we leave, I have to tell you something about Morgana." He wanted Arthur to know before they'd leave. "She collapsed. I took her to Gaius, but he doesn't know what is going on with her."

The prince looked shocked. Morgana and he grew up together. They were close. "Does Gaius know whether she'll make a good recovery or not?"

"She started to recover when I left. Gaius thinks that she'll be alright."

Relief was written on Arthur's face. He pulled himself together now that he knew she most likely would recover. The relief on his face made room for excitement. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Merlin was still holding on to the rope, when Arthur grabbed it off the ground. He moved backwards to the windowsill and got on top of it.

"Now, all you have to do, is hold on tight and lower me down to the ground," he explained. "You are capable of holding me, right?" His face was doubtful when Merlin nodded. He had to put his doubt aside, his servant was the only one able to help him right now. "Are you sure you are ready, Merlin?"

"Yes, just be careful on the way down. Don't worry about the rope. I've got you." Merlin made sure he held the rope correctly.

Arthur looked down before giving him one last look. "Head to the stables once I'm on the ground." He said as he started to descend. The sudden weight pulled Merlin forward, which caused his friend to descend rapidly. He heard Arthur calling him an idiot. He quickly regained control over the rope. Sweat started to form when he gave the rope, inch for inch, until he had no rope left. The weight reduction told him that Arthur had made it to the ground safely.

With magic he pulled the rope up, rolled it up and hid it under the bed. He grabbed two cloaks out of Arthur's closet. A blue one, which used to be Merlin's, and a grey one. He folded them. They would hide their identity from the guards at entrance of Camelot. He hoped the guards wouldn't ask him about them. Lastly, he left the bag of herbs on the bed and left the room.

The guards stayed quiet on the way out. He figured that that might be a good thing. They probably didn't suspect that Arthur might pull such a stunt. He hoped that the punishment from Uther wouldn't be too severe for the guards. How could they know that this would happen?

Once he was out of their sight, he started to run. His heart was racing. Arthur knew how to saddle horses, so he hoped that, when he arrived at the stables, they could go immediately.

* * *

Merlin was right. There were two horses standing with Arthur, a brown and a black horse. He had just finished cinching up the second horse, when Merlin entered. Both the horses belonged to Arthur. He cared for them. They were the fastest stallions in Camelot. They had great stamina. There was no need to worry about them getting tired.

Nobody was at the stables except for them. The horses would receive their dinner later that afternoon. It would give them a few hours before anyone noticed that two horses were missing. Merlin handed him the blue cloak after he put on his own. They both pulled the caps over their heads, only revealing a small part of their faces.

"You ready?" Arthur asked. The horses were snorting. They felt how nervous both men were, despite them not visibly showing. The horses were making quick movements. Merlin hoped that they wouldn't bolt on them. He was able to ride properly, but he never rode on Arthur's horses. He wasn't used to their explosive behavior.

"Yes, let's go."

Arthur handed him the reins of the black horse, as he lead them out of the stables. He got on. Merlin followed his example and also got on. They looked at each other and both had a boyish grin on their faces. They had done it. They were now able to go wherever they wanted. They urged their horses to a slow trot. They looked like two wealthy merchants leaving Camelot. Not a single guard paid attention to them when they left through the gate.

Once they had put quite a distance between them and the gate, they galloped towards the woods. They weren't aware of the danger they were riding into.


	3. Chapter 3

Little sunlight came through the top of the trees. It gave an eerie feel to the woods. The temperature dropped rapidly. The wind was blowing in Merlin's eyes, which made him tear up. They wanted to put some distance between them and the edge of the forest.

Merlin was close behind Arthur. His horse kept pushing to go faster, but he held him back. He didn't want to wear the horse out. They had to save their energy, just in case anything bad happened. While riding, he thought of all the things he didn't take in consideration before leaving. They hadn't brought food with them, extra clothes or extra weapons. They were stupid not to think of it. They had been so excited to leave and too impatient to stop and think about what they were doing.  
It meant that they had to stop soon, in case they wanted to stay for the night. Knowing what would happen when they would return to Camelot, they were probably staying for the night. Neither of the boys wanted to encounter Uther when he found out they had disobeyed him.

He noticed that Arthur was slowing down from a gallop to a trot. The trees became taller and thicker. They were entering the older part of the forest. The space between the trees became smaller. They had to be more careful to not hit one.

"Arthur! Can we stop for a moment?" He wanted to discuss the possibility of them hunting for food. They could place a few traps here and there and continue their search, with the hope that when they came back to the traps, they would have captured enough for the night.

"Tired already?" Arthur sneered at him. He slowed down, until he stopped completely, giving Merlin the chance to stop right next to him.

"We have to hunt, if we want to stay for the night," he said ignoring Arthur's sneer. It was a chance to discuss their options, but also an opportunity to catch their breath. Both were tired of the adrenaline rush. It started to wear off.

"Good idea. I figure traps will do fine, since I didn't bring my bow or spear. If you can make sure the horses get some food, then I will get started." Arthur got off of his horse. "I think we have made enough miles between us and Camelot."

Merlin too got off. The only things they brought along, were the things behind the saddle. They had two thick and warm blankets with them. The temperature tended to drop quite a lot during the night. There was another sword attached to Arthur's saddle. Not that Merlin could wield a sword properly, it was always handy to have a spare. So, that was what they had: two blankets, two horses, two swords and a good mood. Great planning, he thought to himself.

Arthur carefully pulled the reins over his horse's head and handed them to Merlin. "I am going to place some traps. Yell if you are in danger, or if you spot something suspicious."

Merlin took both horses and looked for a good grazing spot. He noticed one close to a fallen old tree trunk. There was moss all over the trunk. It had to be there for a long for it to have so much moss on it. He tied the reins to it, so the horses couldn't escape even if they spooked. He sat down next to them on top of the trunk, making sure the horses could eat with their bridle on.

Realization of what they had done hit him. They had left the city without getting caught. One of the most important people in the city, Arthur, had been able to leave. He started to laugh out loud. He put his hands in his hair. They had done it. He was so relieved. The only thing that he felt bad about was leaving Gaius all alone. Leaving him to treat Morgana and to deal with an angry Uther. Still, his guilt wouldn't stop him from continuing on with Arthur.

He left the horses alone to gather stones. He wanted to create a circle for a fire. He figured that they might be here a while, so it wouldn't be wasted energy. The few stones he managed to find would do the job just fine. He lay them out. All that was missing was dry wood. It hadn't rained in a while, which didn't make it hard to find proper firewood. Quickly, he had collected a big pile. It would do for the night.  
It was hard telling the time, since the sun wasn't visible through the trees. The temperature kept dropping and the dusk had set in. He went to grab the blankets, when Arthur returned.

"Traps are in place. We should check them in the morning," he mentioned. "I did manage to find a dead rabbit. I only took the parts that the wild animals hadn't touched." He proudly held the rabbit in the air. He made himself look like a proud child who was showing his parents something he did.

"I fed the horses, gathered wood and am about to make a fire." He didn't do a lot, but there wasn't much to do. He put the blankets down next to the pile of wood. Meanwhile, Arthur grabbed his spare sword from his saddle and started to cut open the rabbit. When Merlin first went along with his prince on a ride, he was pleasantly surprised that the prince knew how to clean meat. He wasn't such a fool as he thought Arthur was when they first met.

To make a fire he needed two sticks. He crouched down. One on the ground, the other on top of the one on the ground. He rolled the stick in between his hands. It wasn't working the way he wanted. He glanced over at Arthur, who was busy taking the skin off of the rabbit. It gave him the chance to use his magic to create fire. For most spells he didn't need to speak. With practice he was able to do magic in silence, which helped him keeping his identity save when he needed to help someone.  
Once the fire was going, he threw some extra wood on it to keep it going, and sat back on his blanket watching Arthur clean the rabbit meat.

"Can I ask you something?" The only answer he got from Arthur was some sort of mumbling. He took that as a yes. "Why weren't you allowed to go along on the hunt?"

Any other prince would be shocked by this rude question, but his wasn't. He stopped cleaning to look Merlin in to his eyes. He took some time thinking about his answer.

"Father said that Nimueh was dangerous," he said. He stood up, only to sit down on his blanket and handed Merlin the rabbit. He then continued, "Gaius told him about the fact that Nimueh was after me. He mentioned that she held a grudge against my father for something he did. Father neglected to tell me what caused her hatred. My death is apparently enough to satisfy her." He talked so lightly about this threat against him, almost as if he didn't care enough.

While listening, Merlin made sure the rabbit was properly placed in the fire. It started to smell like burnt hair, since not all of the fur had been taken off. Arthur must have forgotten to pluck the remaining pieces off.

"Personally, I don't think she is the brightest sorceress out there. If she truly knew my father, she would know that he doesn't love me. He hates me for killing my mother." He sounded so bitter. It shocked his servant.

"The only reason he protects me, is because I am his only heir," he confessed after Merlin didn't respond. His voice was thick with sadness. "The kingdom goes before me, before everyone. It's his top one priority." Tears were visible in his eyes. He looked oh so tired. Normally such a large and broad man now looked tiny and helpless.

Arthur talking about his mother was rare. Merlin was clearly affected. It filled him with sorrow that Arthur blamed himself for his mother.

"It is _not_ your fault your mother passed away, Arthur. Please don't beat yourself up for it." He emphasized the word not. There was so much he wanted to say. "Your father _does_ care about you. You are his everything. Sure, Camelot is important to him, but so are you." He wanted it to be true what he said about the king, he really did. He had his doubts though.

He turned the rabbit around with a stick so it wouldn't burn.

"You are special. There will never be another like you. You are the once and future king," he continued. Not once he broke eye contact with his friend. He wanted to get through to him. Make him realize how important he was. Make him realize how loved he was. "The people have faith in you. _I_ have faith in you. We all see a promising king in the making. Please don't forget that."

Arthur sadly smiled at him. "You are a good friend. Sometimes I think I know you, Merlin, but you always manage to surprise me." He was clearly touched by Merlin's words. "Sometimes, not always, but sometimes you know how to say the right things."

He held out his hand. Merlin grabbed him by the crook of his elbow. They both looked at each other and smiled. This was a moment neither of them would forget. Both were touched by the openness of each other. What they didn't know, was that this would be one of the last times this would occur. Doom was near.

The smell of cooked meat broke their moment. They were both hungry. They let go of each other. Merlin asked for the spare sword, cut up the meat in half and gave one half to Arthur. They both ate their meat in a comfortable silence. The sound of the birds was peaceful. The rabbit would silence their hunger for the night.

"I still have to water the horses." Merlin said as he swallowed his last piece of meat. He licked the grease off his fingers before standing up. Arthur got up as well.

"I'm coming with you. Just to be safe, can't let anything happen to my servant," he said sarcastically as he followed Merlin towards the horses. They still had their saddles on. They would keep the saddles on. They had to get away quickly if anything were to happen.

"I'll have you know that you won't find anyone better than me," he sneered back. "Just be careful with that armor. I care a great deal about that, so don't you go and ruin it." He untied both horses and held their reins.

"Remember George?" George had tried to teach Merlin some of the jobs you do as a servant. George was the perfect servant. He became frustrated and desperate with Merlin, when he realized there was no point in trying to teach him. "Follow me, there is a creek nearby."

He followed Arthur. "If George is such an amazing servant, why didn't you give him the job?"

"The man is seriously boring. After one day with him I even started to miss you, which says an awful lot. The jokes that man made..." Arthur scoffed at the idea of George as his servant. Merlin was satisfied with the compliment.

The creek was a longer walk than they had expected, since it was dark. They heard the sound of water, but it took them some time to find it. Upon arrival, the horses immediately started to drink. They were thirsty. So were the boys. They too started to drink. The water was cold and refreshing. It made them more alert to their surroundings.

There were plenty of wild animals out by the creek. They weren't visible, but you could hear them walk around. The sounds made them all nervous, especially the horses. As they had learned over time, was that they should listen to the horses. Their instinct was to run when there was danger. If they were nervous, you better listened.

All four of them were jumpy. They decided to hurry back to their campfire. The fire might spook off some of the wild animals. The way back was much shorter it seemed. It most likely was because of the fact that they walked quite fast. They wanted to leave the creek behind them. Merlin kept looking back to see if anyone or anything followed them.

"It might be better if we take turns keeping watch," Merlin proposed. "I will take the first watch."

Arthur was about to protest, but Merlin interrupted him. His friend had gone through a long emotional day. He needed and deserved all the rest he could get. "Please, don't argue. You need your rest."

When they got back, the fire was burning low. It was completely dark now. He threw a few piece of wood on the fire, after he tied up the horses to a tree. Meanwhile, Arthur cleaned his blanket, before he lay on it and made himself comfortable.

"I am glad you are here, Merlin." He softly said as he handed Merlin the spare sword. He closed his eyes. It wouldn't take him too long to fall asleep.

"I'm glad you are here as well," he responded. "Sleep well."

He held on to the spare sword with a firm grip. It was one of the few things keeping them safe. There weren't a lot of sounds of animals walking past their camp. The silence was almost threatening. It was like the calm before a storm.

After a few minutes he heard Arthur starting to breathe heavier. A smile came when he watched his friend sleep. The glow of the fire lit up his face. His face was peaceful and without any concern. He looked so much younger asleep.

The confessions Arthur made earlier that evening haunted him. It broke his heart hearing his friend blaming himself for the death of his mother. He silently made a vow to Arthur to always aid him. He would be there when he was needed, would comfort him or guide him if he needed to.

"Nimueh is right to fear you," he whispered to his friend. "You are one of the greatest men I know. Your reign will be wonderful. Your time will come. Just wait and see."

Arthur would bring back magic to Camelot as king. It was foretold. His destiny to protect him got them together. A great bond formed out of his destiny. He wanted every day to be like this. Full of adventure, thrill, adrenaline and so on. He wanted to enjoy every moment of their time with each other.

"Just wait and see," he sighed. It was a shame that Arthur didn't hear those words. He deserved to hear them. He deserved the world.


	4. Chapter 4

It was nice and warm underneath the blanket. He had not taken off his cloak before he went to sleep. It was early in the morning. He was still tired. In the middle of the night they had switched places. Arthur had woken him up to tell him that he was about to check the traps. They both had kept feeding the fire throughout the night. They had to hurry cooking their food. The smoke coming from the fire was much more visible during the day than during the night.  
Surely, people had noticed their escape. The knights were probably out there looking for them and the sorceress. They had to be more careful.

"Look at what we caught!" Arthur had a badger hanging from his shoulder. The badger would provide them with enough food for a while. They had to be scarce, but they would manage.

Merlin got up, rolled up his and Arthur's blanket and placed them behind the saddles. He attached them in such a way that they wouldn't fall off. Arthur was already busy plucking off the fur of the badger and threw the patches of hair on the ground. After that he tried to get rid of the skin by cutting him open from top to bottom.

"If you could water the horses, while I clean the badger and cook it, we could leave pretty soon." It sounded reasonable. Merlin untied the horses, grabbed their reins and headed towards the creek. He wasn't sure which way he had to go, but he heard the flowing of the water and followed that sound. The surroundings looked different during the day. The ground was quite moist, something he hadn't noticed last night. You could see the print of a deer on the path he walked.

He let the horses go and drink, when they arrived. He crouched down to drink as well, when he noticed something odd. Fresh footprints on the other side of the creek. Human footprints. Someone had walked towards this creek barefooted. Both he and Arthur wore shoes. His heart started racing. Someone had been here and he wasn't sure if he was entirely alone. Was he being watched? Had they been followed to their camp? Arthur was all alone there.

He slowly got up. If he was being watched, he didn't want to show that he knew. There was a rustling of leaves behind him. He spun around, but he didn't see anything. He pricked up his ears. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound. He had to leave, it wasn't safe. He had to get back to Arthur.

His horse nearly reared when he threw the reins over his head. He got on. One hand to control his horse, the other to lead the brown horse. To gallop back was not an option. It would be too risky with these trees so close to each other, so he trotted back to camp. The smell of burning meat hit his nose. It worried him. He didn't dare to yell out for his friend.

He slowed down when he saw the fire. Arthur wasn't anywhere to be seen. The badger lay half on the ground and half in the fire. His heart sunk. Those weren't good signs. Where was his friend? He neared the camp, when he heard footsteps. He heard a man laughing. It was Arthur. But why was he laughing?

"Arthur, where are you?" he asked loudly. His friend was comfortable enough to laugh out loud, so he figured it would be safe enough to call out for him.

"I'm here!" The answer came from the left of him. Two men made their way through the bushes. Arthur was in front. He was relieved to see his prince alright. "Look who I encountered!"

It was Sir Leon. Merlin was surprised to see them laughing together. He had expected Sir Leon to drag Arthur back home.

"Morning, Merlin," he greeted. "Glad to have found you two alive and well." Merlin greeted him as well. He still wasn't entirely sure what he had to make of Leon's arrival. "Uther is furious. You are lucky I found you."

Arthur walked over to the horses. "He isn't here to haul our asses back home. He is here all alone. He noticed the fire and decided to investigate." He tried to reassure his suspicious servant. "Why are you on your horse? Too lazy to walk on your own?"

"No, you have to listen to me, Arthur," he urged. "Last night at the creek, we weren't alone. There are human footprints in the sand. That person wasn't wearing shoes. Someone was watching us, I am sure of it. He or she might have followed us back here."

Arthur cursed under his breath and immediately drew his sword. Leon followed his example. He wasn't sure why, but he figured they were in danger. Arthur waved for both men to get closer, Merlin on his horse, the knight on foot.

They explained everything to the knight. They became suspicious of every sound. They looked around as if danger was about to hit. Merlin tapped Leon on his shoulder and motioned for him to jump on behind him. The knight had done this before and knew how to get on properly without falling off on the other side. He wrapped his arms around Merlin's chest. Arthur got on his horse as well.

"Where is your camp?" Arthur asked. He had just closed his mouth when a glowing hot ball exploded behind them. The heat set the grass on fire. The fire spread quickly. The sound left a ringing in their ears. Both the horses spooked and bolted. They all barely managed to stay on.

Tree branches hit Merlin's face. He had no control over the horse. It was running for its life. Merlin couldn't blame him, he was terrified. He would never admit it to anyone, but he usually was scared during these situations.

Warm blood ran over his face. It got in his eyes, he could barely see where they were heading. Leon's grip was tight, as he held his face against Merlin's back trying to avoid the branches.

Arthur was in front of him. The prince held one arm to his belly, as if he was hurt.

Another ball exploded right behind them. Merlin's horse started to buck so he could get rid of his riders. Leon fell sideways off of the horse.

"No!" The servant yelled. He yanked at the reins, trying to spin the horse around. The horse obeyed. Arthur, however, rode on. Another horse approached quickly. Their chaser wore a long black cape. He couldn't see who it was, nor if it was a man or a woman. The stranger jumped over Sir Leon, who lay there unconscious and bleeding, and slowed down. Another ball of heat was in his or hers right hand.

 _"_ _Emrys_ ," A loud hoarse whispering voice called his name. He was surprised the stranger knew his name.

"If you know who I am, you know it would be foolish to fight me," he threatened in a low serious voice. "Leave and never come back."

" _You are not supposed to be here. You are not supposed to die at my hand._ " The heat ball disappeared.

A sudden push knocked him out of the saddle against a tree. He moaned. He put his hand to the back of his head. His hand was entirely red. He was bleeding. His already bad sight worsened. It was one big blur. He could barely decipher the stranger. He put up his hand towards a shadow which he thought was the stranger. Buying time for Arthur and saving Leon was all he wanted. All he could think about was creating distance between them and the stranger. The figure didn't disappear. It got off of his or her horse and came closer to Merlin, until they could almost touch each other.

The hood was pulled over so far that it only revealed the person's mouth. The person creepily grinned at him. " _See you soon, Emrys._ " Every hair on his body stood up. The stranger was giving him an eerie feeling.

With his last strength he forced the person backwards. The figure fell back with a groan. He or she quickly got up and jumped on the horse. The horse galloped off after Arthur. The sound of hooves digging into the ground was the last thing he heard before passing out.

* * *

When he awoke, Sir Leon was sitting in front of him. Dried blood and dirt was smeared all over his face. His right leg lay in a weird position in front of him. It was broken. He was busy cleaning his hands with a piece of his cape. He wasn't aware of Merlin coming to his senses.

Merlin was leaning against a tree. The same he hit his back and head against. His head was pounding, his vision blurry and there was an annoying ringing in his ears. His back felt like dogs were clawing it open.

"Leon? Where..." He wanted to ask something, but couldn't remember his question.

Leon's head snapped up in concern. "Merlin! Finally! You were out for quite some time." He unhooked a bag of water from his belt and threw it in his direction. "Take it all. I can't help you because of my leg. So, when you are ready, try to drink."

Grabbing the bag hurt, everything did, but he tried to ignore it. He eagerly started to drink. The water was nice and refreshing, cleaning all the dirt out of his mouth. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Where's Arthur?"

"I think he got away. He was riding quite fast. I don't think the sorceress got to him," Leon shrugged. "I don't know why she didn't turn around to come and finish us off. I guess we were lucky."

The stranger being the sorceress was a good possibility. It was most likely her. If it was her, she turned out to be powerful, just like Uther told them. He didn't think he could compete with her, but he had to help Arthur. He had to get up and look for him. He noticed his horse grazing peacefully to his left. That was a good thing. The horse would come in handy.

"I have to find him," Merlin moaned. "He is in danger. She is after him." He shifted sideways to the tree. The slightest movement made him sick. He would use the tree to get up. He moved slowly, almost falling a few times, but after a few minutes he stood on both feet. He was proud of himself. The smallest victory made him happy. It was better than doing nothing.

"How are you going to help him? You are barely able to stand. We should head back to Camelot, ask for help and come back with plenty of soldiers." The knight had a good point. His condition was bad.

"No, it could be too late if we do that. It will take us an entire day to get back there. We can't go fast with your leg." An idea arose. "I suggest I go after Arthur on foot, while you ride back home," he puffed. Moving was heavy on him. He rubbed his hands over his face, taking off some dried blood. "You will have to request for a large number of men."

"I can't even get on the horse, let alone ride!" His friend protested.

"We have to try, Leon. I will help you." He stumbled over to the horse, leading it next to Leon. He took off his cloak, which he had been wearing since the escape out of Camelot, and threw it over Leon's shoulders. It would keep him warm.

The knight still hesitated when Merlin crouched down at his right side. Merlin understood his doubt. It would be hell getting up and on the horse, but he had no other plan. He grabbed Leon's shoulder and squeezed it.

"Are you ready? I know it will hurt, but we have to try."

Leon nodded, threw his arm over Merlin's shoulder and tried to position his left leg properly. They both had to push through their pain. They tried to be comforting to each other by smiling, but it didn't have a big effect on their mood. They knew what was about to come, wasn't going to be pleasant.

"On three we try," suggested Leon. He started to count. "One, two and three!" They both pushed upwards with all their strength. Leon winced and screamed in pain. Tears were rolling down his face. The pain almost became so bad that he fainted.

"Stay with me! You're almost standing!" Merlin encouraged. He too started to see black spots. He clenched his jaws and gave one last push upwards. It was enough for Leon to get up on his left leg.

They were both gasping for air. Part one was complete. Now, they still had to figure out how they would get Leon on the horse.

Leon leaned heavily on Merlin. His head was hanging forwards.

"How... Is there a way.." He had to think about his words. "How do I get on?"

"I think I know a good way to get you on. Can you lean against the horse for a bit?" Merlin limped over to the right side of the horse, leaving Leon on the left, and put the stirrup at its highest. The broken leg needed good support once he was on. Without support it would hurt like crazy.

He scurried back to the knight before he would fall to the ground. They stumbled to the right side of the horse.

"Now, we are going to count to three again. On three you jump up using your left leg. At the same time, I will push you up," he explained. "And then, when you are hanging over the horse's neck, we will try and get your left leg over the saddle. Do you understand?"

Leon just nodded. He was turning pale. The pain was making him sick. He feared that if he said something, he would puke.

After getting the green light from Leon he carefully launched him on top of the horse. The knight was able to throw his own leg over the saddle.

"I am going to put your right leg in the stirrup for support." Merlin was almost afraid to grab the leg. He grabbed it at the foot, slowly pushing it up to the stirrup. Again Leon was wincing. His upper body was bent forward in pain. Sweat dripped down his face.

Before taking off, Merlin hooked the water bag on the knight's belt.

"You need it more than me. Get home safe." The knight thanked him.

They bid each other farewell. Merlin slapped the horse on its butt, so it would walk off. He waited until his friend was out of sight. It looked like Leon would make it back to Camelot.

He turned around to direction he last saw Arthur. He needed to find him, no matter what. The hooves had dug deep into the ground and were still visible. Tracking wasn't his strong suit, but he didn't want to wear himself out by using magic. If he was going to face Nimueh, he needed all his strength. He hoped he would be in time to save Arthur.


	5. Chapter 5

Arthur didn't hear his friends fall. He wasn't aware of what had happened. The wind blew in his face. He feared for his life. It was the sorceress, he kept thinking over and over. And if it was her, he would try to lead her away from his friends. She was after him anyways. If anyone were to die, it would be either him or her. There was no need for his friends to die, especially not for him. They deserved better than that. They deserved to grow old, and maybe even start a family of their own. He wasn't going to be the one in the way of their happiness. He couldn't live with the guilt if he lost them.

" _It would be your fault if one of them died._ " A voice in his mind said. It was his own voice. " _Merlin is only here, because you asked him to. No, not asked, more like forced him to. You knew he wouldn't disobey you._ " It was the truth. " _Just like Sir Leon. There might not have been a meeting between him and Nimueh. You escaped, he came looking._ "

These negative thoughts haunted him before, mostly at night though. Blaming himself for being the cause of so much misery. He tried to shake them off.

"No," he said out loud. The wind was blowing so hard, his words were lost in it. "I won't lose them."

To throw the sorceress off, he yanked the horse to the left. Instead of north, he now headed west. Camelot was to the south. The landscape started to change to a more hilly terrain. He had to be careful the horse didn't trip.

The first explosion had hurt his left arm. He was holding it close to his body. He kept on going, even if it meant he had through his pain for a while. Every movement was painful, ducking away for every low hanging branch. His ears were ringing, he wasn't able to hear properly. He hoped it faded away soon. He relied on all his senses.

He slowed down to fast trot. Arthur figured it was time to face his chaser. He stopped, spun the horse around and drew his drew with his good hand, which was luckily also his fighting hand. No one was there. He waited for a while, but it was wasted time. He worried about Merlin and Leon. They had been much slower than him. Their horse had to carry them both.

He stood there not knowing what to do. There were endless possibilities of what he could do. The first option, that came to his mind, was to head back and search for his friends, risking an encounter with Nimueh, which he feared he would lose.  
The second option was to create more distance between him and the sorceress, only to lead her even further away from Merlin and Leon, assuming she was following him, and eventually turning around in a big circle to search for them.  
There was also the possibility to head back to Camelot and come back with so many men that it would be big enough to be an army.

He was in conflict with himself. There was no way of knowing which option was the right one. He leaned towards the first option. It wasn't the greatest option in his mind, but it was what his heart desired. To know that his friends would be safe and alive, so the three of them could flee back home.

After a few seconds, he had made up his mind. He turned his horse towards the direction of Camelot, and spurred him. The horse walked off, happy to catch his breath. Arthur got his feet out of the stirrups, swung one leg over the horse's neck and tied a knot in the reins, so the horse wouldn't trip over them. He then pushed himself off towards the bushes. He figured the horse knew the way home.

The landing was hard. He broke the fall with his good arm. Branches broke off around him. He groaned when he got up. His already sore arm felt even worse. The horse walked on. The only sign that he had been there, were the destroyed bushes. No footprints lead to it. He hoped Nimueh would pass through here with high speed, so she wouldn't notice the bushes. It was wishful thinking of him.

He got out of the bushes, tried to push up the branches so it would partially return to its natural state, and started to walk in the direction where he had spent the night. He was covered in dirt and leaves, which he tried to wipe off, but it was without any results. He zigzagged to throw any chasers off. It would take longer that way, but it was necessary.

While walking, he pulled up the sleeve on his painful arm, trying to figure out what was wrong with it. It was bruised, and already started to show nasty colors. Something must have hit him during the first explosion. After taking a closer look, he couldn't find anything else beside the bruises. It would, however, take some time to heal. He made peace with it, it could have been worse after all he had been through.

The walk was long and hard on the prince, but most of all, it made him nervous. Every possibility of what might have happened to his friends, had ran through his head twice already. They were hard to shut out, since there wasn't anything else to occupy his mind with. There were, what it felt like, an endless amount of trees. At one point, he tried to count them, but after hitting fifty, he gave up.

Nothing happened. No encounters with strangers or wild animals. He could climb a tree, trying to rise above the top of the trees, and search for the smoke of their camp. He, however, still had to find a tree high enough. He somewhat regretted getting rid of the horse.

After walking about three and a half miles, his feet were getting sore. Blisters started to form at the heel. He slapped himself in the face a few times, just to make sure he kept his attention on his surroundings. Nimueh was still out there.

If Merlin had been there with him, he would have complained to his servant, until the servant became sick and tired of hearing it. The annoyance would please him greatly. Merlin had grown on him since the first time they met. Arthur wouldn't admit it, but he considered Merlin to be one of his best and closest friends. His loyalty was outstanding. Arthur could always count on him, no matter what.  
He also considered his friend to be one of the bravest men he had ever met. He never backed down from something dangerous. They always went out together, he and Merlin. He was there when he practiced, there when he rode out with the knights or when he went out to hunt. When people thought of Arthur, they also thought of Merlin, and the other way around.

The knights saw Merlin as one of their own. They treated him like they would treat each other. They had mentioned to Arthur how lucky he was to have found such a servant. Good servants were hard to come by. Someone even offered to take over Merlin as a servant, if he ever got tired of him. Merlin wasn't the greatest servant, but most definitely the most loyal one.

Thinking about the good times and his friends made him smile. He never wanted things to change. Since the day he met Merlin, his friend had been there. He was proud to be Merlin's friend. He would risk his own life for him, something his father would never understand. Dying for someone below his stand was a big nono.

He noticed a giant oak tree in front of him, one high enough to see above the top of the trees. He would be able to orientate himself. There was one downside. If he climbed up, and Nimueh would see him, he had no way of surviving. He would be stuck up there.  
The risks didn't outweigh the opportunities. Walking further might lead nowhere. He was unsure whether he was going the right way.

He dreaded climbing the tree. He was certain he would get up there, but it would hurt. And, besides the pain, he wasn't a big fan of heights. He sighed. "Come on, don't be such a wuss," he whispered to himself. Pain and fear was temporary. Orientating would determine his next steps.

He jogged up to the oak, looked up and sighed. The oak had low hanging branches, which made it easier to climb. To the right of the tree, there was a branch that looked strong and thick enough to hold him. If he jumped high enough, he should be able to reach it.

His heart was pounding fast. Sweat formed. He was nervous. He took a few steps back, so he could gain more speed to jump higher, took a deep breath and prepared himself. His feet had a good grip on the ground. He sprinted towards the branch, kicking up dust into the air behind him, leaped over there and managed to get a hold onto it. His arm hurt, but didn't feel too bad.

The branch made an awful cracking noise, like it was about to fall off. Arthur was almost scared to breathe, as if his breath would cause his fall. He hung there, before he pulled himself up, but only after the noise stopped. He hung over it. His weight was on his chest. With a smooth movement he swung his right leg over it. He now sat on it, both legs hanging on either side of the branch, facing the stem.  
Slowly he shifted towards it. He put his arms around it, like he was hugging it, giving himself something to hold on to, while he tried to get up on his feet. Falling would be catastrophic. Falling from this height and then breaking a bone was most likely.

When he could support himself on his own feet, he heard stomping noises on the ground. It was far away. It sounded like a running horse, maybe even more than one. He had to hurry, assuming it was Nimueh.

The tree had bulges on the stem. One was close to his right hip. He could use it to launch himself even higher. He glanced up. There was a branch three feet above his head to the left. It wasn't a high jump, but it would be difficult to leap towards it. He risked breaking his current branch, if he jumped off of this one. He had to make use of the bulge.

The pounding noise of horse hooves was awfully close. There wouldn't be enough time to jump and pull himself up. He hoped that the rider wouldn't notice him. He stood out against the tree. His armor reflected the little sunlight that came through the leaves.  
The only thing in his favor, was that humans tended to not look up. Humans didn't expect danger from above, so he hoped that the sorceress ignored everything above her.

It sounded like the horse was slowing down. Did his chaser notice his tracks? There was no point in trying to hide them, he thought to himself during his walk. He already zigzagged the entire way. It would take up so much precious needed time. He figured he might encounter a creek during his walk to get rid of his chaser. Unfortunately, that had not been the case.

Every sound Arthur made sounded obnoxiously loud. Every time he swallowed, he felt like people could hear it from miles away. Same went for his breathing. He could hear his own heartbeat going fast. If he were about to die, he would die fighting. Carefully, without making too much noise, he let go of the tree, leaned back a bit and drew his sword with his right hand. The only sound to be heard, was the hissing noise his sword made when it left its holder. He quickly wrapped his arms back around to tree, scared he was about to fall.

There was definitely more than one horse, which calmed him down a little. Nimueh had been chasing him on her own. He didn't hear any voices. They were most certainly tracking him. He didn't dare to look down, in case the movements would alert one of them. He held his forehead against the tree and closed his eyes. The tracks lead directly to tree. It was over for him, he thought. In silence he apologized to Leon and Merlin. They got into this mess because of him. He just hoped his father wouldn't blame them for his death.

The horse were now around 15 feet away. If he counted correctly, there were three or four horses. He might be able to fight off three or four men. Letting himself fall out of the tree would allow the horsemen to get to him, even before he would be able to get up. They would slaughter him like a pig.

If only he hadn't climbed this damn tree. He could slap himself for making such a dumb decision. If anyone asked how he died, the answer would be stupid. Prince Arthur was stuck in a tree. They killed him with bow and arrow or magic or whatever. It sounded so stupid. He wanted to die either a heroic death or one of old age. Not like this, anything but this.

"Arthur, what on earth are you doing there?" A voice asked filled with anger, concern and relief? He opened his and looked down. "Why are you hugging a tree?" His father asked, looking up to him with eyes filled with worry, surrounded by three knights.


	6. Chapter 6

"What do you mean they are gone?!" Uther yelled at Arthur's guards. "How could this happen?"

His anger silenced everyone in the king had just returned from his search for the evil sorceress, when the four guards entered the throne room. The room was filled with Camelot knights, who had joined him on the search. Gaius was there too. The physician wanted to talk to him about Morgana, but he had brushed him off. Whatever it was, it could wait. They were discussing new possible strategies, when the guards whispered the news of the disapearance of the king his son.

Fear crept inside his heart, holding on tight. He feared for his son's life. His son was the only thing left of his wife. He wasn't ready to lose that last part of her, even though he partly blamed his son for her passing. He kept the memory of her alive through him. He was amazed at the resemblance of mother and son. He had her kindness and looks. The way he would talk was exactly like hers, despite him not knowing her. They spoke with the same kind of passion about the people of Camelot. She cared as much about them as Arthur now does.

Nimueh knew how to hurt the king. They had a history together. One filled with hatred and blood. An outcome of their history together was Arthur. Thanks to her he had been given a son, an heir to his throne. The price was too high. A life had to be given up to create a new one. He didn't know the price at the time he made the deal. His wife was clueless about his deal with the sorceress. She was so happy to be pregnant. He didn't have the heart to tell her the child was made of magic.

Uther also knew that Nimueh would not back down from a fight. She usually started them herself. Wars were started by her, for example his own war with magic. She claimed not to be aware of the price, which he refused to accept. He hated her for what she caused.

His thinking was interrupted. One brave guard answered, "Prince Arthur and his servant Merlin are both nowhere to be found, just like there are two horses missing. The missing horses are Arthur's stallions. We found a rope underneath the prince's bed. We assume that is how he got out of his chambers."

Everyone remained silent, scared of what the king would say. They all knew about Arthur's stubbornness and how it affected his father. It infuriated him. It wasn't the first time the prince had done something like this. Once Arthur had been locked up for an entire week in dungeons for risking his life for a servant. There had been other forms of punishments, usually the emotional kind. Physical pain didn't work on him. They knew this, because Uther tried it before. The anger of the king was something to be afraid of.

A good example of emotional punishment, some would even call it abuse, was ignoring Arthur for weeks. He once disobeyed the king, when he was supposed to stay indoors. During the night he sneaked out. God only knows why. When he was caught, he was forced to undergo his punishment. He was only a boy back then, so not many people would be able to remember this. Gaius did however. The child became desperate for his father's attention. He felt like he wasn't good enough, and tried to please him in so many ways. Despite his efforts, his father did not respond to him.  
One day, he broke down crying in Gaius's chambers. Gaius saw how Uther emotionally drained the boy. He almost felt obligated to speak out, which he actually did. He advised the king to start communicating with his son. This form of punishment was used several times, until Arthur became totally numb towards it.

Now, Gaius was angry with Merlin for being such an idiot. However, he would not use such punishment methods. He wondered how he was ever going to get through to the boy.  
When Merlin arrived at the castle, Gaius had spoken to Kilgharrah about how to get through to him. The dragon had laughed at him for asking such a thing and ridiculed him. Why would a dragon keep his mind occupied with matters so small? He knew what to say to frustrate Gaius.  
The old man wasn't one for giving up, and had threatened to warn Merlin for the dragon, to not trust him. The dragon knew when to stop. Emrys was his only way out of his prison, so he tried to be helpful. So far, there were no results.

"I want him found." The king sat down on his throne and tapped on it nervously, a habit he had developed over the years. "I want him found! Now! Search all night if you have to."

All knights, before leaving, loudly said, "Yes, my king." The room felt empty when they left, only leaving Gaius, Uther and the four guards there. The four guards bowed in front of the king. He waved them off. They would receive their punishment later.

Gaius saw his chance and walked up to him.

"Your majesty?"

"I don't have time, Gaius. My godforsaken son is missing, didn't you hear?!" The rage in his voice would scare any other person, but not Gaius. They went way back. They could even be considered old friends.

He ignored what the king said to him and continued, "Uther, Morgana collapsed this afternoon. My apprentice brought her to me. She was unconscious for a while, but eventually woke up. Her nightmares have returned. She doesn't sleep at all. It is the reason for her collapsing, but there is something else. She doesn't eat or drink. She says she doesn't feel the urge to. There is no thirst or hunger. Everything she eats or drinks, she pukes up within the hour."

The king immediately got up. He looked shocked. He grabbed the physician's shoulders.

"Is she in your chambers?" he asked. Gaius nodded and Uther left for his chambers. He followed him. He wasn't as fast as Uther. His joints hurt with every step he took. His age started to plague him every second he was awake. Making peace with it was the only thing he could do.

When he entered, Uther sat next to Morgana on the bed, cradling her in his arms. He had a panicked expression on his face. He glanced over to Gaius. Her eyes were closed. It was as if she was unconscious again.

"Why isn't she waking up?" He desperately shook her body. It was a failed attempt at waking her up.

Morgana was fine when he left for the throne room. She had spoken to him about her symptoms. She admitted to him that she was unsure of what was happening to her.

The physician rushed over to her, feeling for a pulse. It was there, but it was weak. Not a good sign. He wasn't sure what had happened to her. He pulled up her eyelid. Her eye was rolled back revealing only white. His suspicions of the use of magic had now been confirmed.

"I think this is the work of Nimueh," he declared. "I am quite sure, actually."

Uther's eyes met his. Tears welled up in the king's eyes. He was so worried about her, it even agitated Gaius. He showed so much concern for her, but refused to do so for his son. He knew the reason why. There were only two people who knew why, him and Uther.

"I have to find her," he mumbled. He kissed her forehead. "Can you give us a moment?"

Gaius bowed and left, closing the door behind him. He had hid important information from his king. This kind of magic was induced by a potion. Someone had given it to the king's ward. Her food was made by Gwen and she had no knowledge about magic. He was sure of that.

She also drank his sleeping potions. He would not dare to hurt her. She was a sweet girl. When she was younger, she would often collect herbs with him. She loved being outdoors. Her father's tragic death took a toll on her, so distraction was always nice.

Merlin would be capable of enchanting it. The boy, however, would not have a clue on how to. He also had no hard feelings against Morgana. There were times Gaius suspected that Merlin had a crush on her.

Someone else had done it. He just had to find him or her. That person held the key to the antidote. If the king would know this information, he would throw every person close to her in jail, until he found the guilty one.

The king exited his chambers and announced he would retire to his own. His eyes were red from crying. He asked Gaius to look after Morgana. There would be guards coming to his chambers to protect her. The best possible care would in the physician's chambers, so there was no need to carry her up to her own bed.

While Gaius waited on the guards, he made a plan. He would ask Gwen to write down every person Morgana had encountered these last two days. He would investigate them personally. He hadn't noticed anyone in the castle with magic. No one came to his mind when he tried to think of a suspect. This person was good and probably had a good cover. So good, he or she was able to get close enough to the king's ward to poison her.

If Merlin had been there, he would have asked the boy to try and locate the creator of the potion. Certainly, there would be a spell for that. However, him not being there called for more old fashioned methods. He had grown used to his apprentice helping him out with magic.

Three guards arrived a few minutes later. They greeted the physician. They looked familiar. They had been patients of him at some point. But then again, who in the city had he not treated?

He went out to Gwen her house. It was dark and cold outside. The moon was nowhere to be found. Her father sat outside besides the door on an old chair. He was just done with his work.

"Evening, Gaius! For what do we owe the pleasure of you being here?" The man was always so polite and kind to him. They could get along quite well. Chatting was something he loved to do, especially with the physician. He always tried to get Gaius to talk to him about all his patients. Tom was a very curious man.

"I am looking for Guinevere." He had to come up with something on the spot. "I wanted to discuss Morgana her new diet."

Her father pointed towards his house. The man told him about how his daughter was probably cooking and that her food was the best. Gaius had no time for this, but he waited. After hearing all about her cooking, he got permission to enter, which Gaius thanked him for.

He hurried inside. The house was nice and warm. She was indeed cooking. It smelled delicious. She was so caught up in her work, she didn't hear him entering. She jumped when he cleared his throat to get her attention. He apologetically smiled at her.

"Oh my! Gaius, what a lovely surprise! I didn't hear you come in." She gave him a bright smile and cleaned her hands on her apron. "How are you and Merlin?"

"I'm good and I think Merlin is as well. However, there is something with Morgana. She is not well." He cut to the case. The time of chitchatting was over. Her smile quickly faded when he told her the truth. He made her promise him she would not tell another soul. It had to stay between them. If word got out, people would start to panic, but most of importantly, the perpetrator would flee with the recipe for the antidote.

Guinevere was aware about Morgana her nightmares. She knew her lady hadn't slept well in a while. She knew it was bad, but not this bad. While stirring in her pot, she explained all of her symptoms to him. Some he knew like no hunger or thirst, but she also told him about how quickly her mood was changing.

"This morning she could not find her red dress. You know the one she wore to the dance last year? At first, she was angry, but then she cried." She lifted her pot off of the fire to cool down. She threw in some salt after tasting it. "That is nothing like her."

"Could you provide me with the names of every person she had contact with, that you know of at least, these last two days?"

Guinevere nodded and searched for a pencil and a piece of paper. Morgana had insisted she learned how to read and write. According to her, it would come in handy one day. She was right.

Gwen stood there, thinking. Sometimes she wrote a few names down, until she put the pencil down, and handed him the paper.

"I want to help, Gaius." It was a nice offer. One he would gladly accept. They had to find this person, because he or she formed a threat inside the castle walls.

* * *

Arthur's cheeks were burning red. The humiliation was bad enough already, but became worse when the knights had the help him down the tree. Uther didn't want his son to hurt himself any further.

After landing safely on the ground, his father got off the horse, and hurried to his son. He grabbed him by the shoulders. Arthur started apologizing, but was cut off when Uther pulled him in for a hug. Both men held on to each other firmly, before letting go. They both smiled. One was relieved to realize he was now safe, the other was relieved to find out his heir was alive.

"Are you hurt? Uther looked at his son from top to bottom, but didn't see any visible injuries. Thank God for that, the king thought to himself. Knowing his son, it could have been way worse.

"Just a bruised arm, nothing to worry about," Arthur answered. He turned to the knights and awkwardly said, "Thank you all for helping me out there."

The knights couldn't help but to laugh. They all climbed up upon their horses except for one. Sir Lucan gave up his horse for Arthur. They all noticed how filthy and tired he looked. Thankfully he took over the horse and climbed on it.

"You are angry with me?" he quietly asked his father.

"I am very angry. When we get home, you better watch out. I will make sure I give you a fitting punishment." There was a threatening tone in his voice. Arthur already dreaded the moment they would get home.

"How did you even end up in a tree?" Sir Lucan wondered out loud. "Where is your horse? And your servant?"

"Answer him," Uther commanded. He too was curious.

The prince's mood changed considerably. "Nimueh happened. Merlin and I encountered Sir Leon at our camp, when she attacked us with magic. She was after us. We all took off on our horses. Leon and Merlin were together on one horse. I don't know what happened to them. We lost sight of each other," he explained. "I am not sure where Nimueh is. I might have lost her."

The men in front of him had doubtful and concerned looks on their faces and glanced at each, while Arthur continued. "I jumped off my horse in hope that she would follow the horse and not me."

"Arthur, we were able to track you very easily. Are you certain she isn't here?" Uther motioned for them to start moving towards Camelot. The king didn't want to take any chances. If she was indeed tracking Arthur, they had to go back home now.

"I really don't know, father. I waited for her, but she didn't show up. I think she was held up because of Merlin and Leon."

Arthur was hesitant to head back to Camelot. His missing friends worried him, but he knew that his protest would lead nowhere. The only thing he could do now, was hope that they were alive.


	7. Chapter 7

After making plans with Gwen for the next day, Gaius wished her goodnight and headed home. Before he left, Gwen gave him a bowl of dinner, which he was grateful for. It tasted delicious.

The streets were empty. Most of the knights would be spending the night in the woods. The king would head out tomorrow at first light.

He glanced at the paper he was given. There were about thirty names on them, most of them were women. Morgana had gone to the market yesterday, where she met quite a few people. Lots of names could be crossed off of the list, because Gaius knew they were harmless. He would, however, still look into them. People could change very easily.

Morgana was still unconscious, when he opened his door. The same guards were still standing outside his door. He asked them if they wanted a chair. They gladly accepted his offer. They had the entire night to go before someone came to release them of their shift. Gaius stepped inside and motioned for them to come in. They all carried their own chair outside, thanking him before they closed the door.

The physician grabbed a bag filled with water off the table. Morgana had to drink something. After opening the bag, he sat down besides her. She looked very peaceful, just laying there. He wriggled his hand underneath her head, holding it up and putting the bag to her mouth. Her lips parted slightly, allowing a few drops into her mouth. Out of reflex she swallowed. Those drops would be enough for now. He prayed she would be able to keep it in. He rolled her onto her side, so that if she were to throw up, she wouldn't choke on her own puke.

His back hurt from rolling her over. It was a sign he had to rest. Out of his closet he grabbed his clothes for the night.

Since Morgana lay in his bed, he decided to sleep in Merlin's bed. He did not want to sleep there. The room was a mess. It smelled of rotten food. Merlin was sloppy and he hated cleaning.

The first thing he did when entered, was cleaning up the mess. Gaius's room was an orderly chaos. There was no order in his apprentice's room. In the windowsill lay old rotten bread. He was filled with disgust. Cleaning took him just ten minutes. If Merlin ever were to protest about how time consuming cleaning was, he would use this night as an example. The boy would not get away with not cleaning.

He changed his clothes and threw the blanket back, before stepping in and laying down. His last thoughts, before he fell asleep, were about Merlin. He was worried about him and wondered how he was doing.

* * *

In the early morning, he woke up. It took him a while to realize where he was and why he had woken up. Then he heard moaning coming from the other room. As fast as he could he got out of bed and hurried to Morgana. Her eyes were still closed. Sweat was on her forehead. She was moving her head around and murmuring incomprehensible things.

"Calm down," he whispered. "You'll be alright."

He put his hand on her shoulder. It worked. She slowly calmed down, sometimes she would still murmur but the moving stopped. She had managed to keep the water down, so Gaius decided to give her some more. Dehydration might have caused her troubled sleep. Since he now was wide awake, he figured it would be better to change clothes and make breakfast. He did not dare to give Morgana some food, in fear she might start puking again.

He waited until first light, before leaving his chambers again. He already finished all his chores for that morning. He just had finished delivering several potions. Cole and Margaret, two of his patients, were already awake when he got to their houses. They were grateful to receive their medicine on time. His other patients were lifted out of their beds by his knocking on their doors.

The castle and city were brimming with life. The king was ready to leave. Three knights, who had stayed in Camelot during the night, accompanied him. The knights were Sir Lucan, Sir Joseph and Sir Louis. The king spotted the physician and waved him over.

"How are you, Gaius?" He asked when the physician bowed. This was all politeness of the king.

"I'm well, thank you." Gaius figured it would be best to keep it short. He knew the king wanted to know how his ward was doing. "Morgana slept well during the night. In the early morning, she started mumbling, but unfortunately she did not wake up. She needs time."

The king sadly smiled and thanked him for the care of his ward.

"I trust you will take good care of her while I'm gone." He patted him on the back before saying goodbye.

Out of the corner of his eyes Gaius noticed Guinevere. He waved at her. She saw him and wished Sir Joseph good luck. He had been talking to her for a few days now. It was obvious he liked her. She came over to him and greeted him. They both waited until the king and the knights left the city before speaking again.

"Where do we start, Gaius?" Gwen asked.

"I think it is best if we start at the market. Quite a few people on the list are probably there now."

They headed towards the market. Guinevere had to adjust her speed to his. She was used to the fast pace of Morgana.

"You think Arthur and Merlin are okay?" She was worried about her friends, so Gaius understood why she asked. He too wondered.

"I hope so. I think they are, but they are two fools, disobeying the king like that."

Gwen wasn't shocked by the fact that he called the prince a fool. The prince was a fool in her eyes. She agreed with the physician. They put their lives in danger for something that the knights too could handle, she thought to herself.

"What do you think their punishment will be? When they get back, I mean."

"Honestly, Guinevere, I don't know. Uther is unpredictable with his punishments when it comes to his son. I will ask him to leave Merlin's punishment to me. The boy has a lot of explaining to do, leaving me all alone with Morgana."

The market was not that busy at this hour. Most people were watching the king leave and most of them would visit the market later during the day. Some traders greeted them and others just stared at them with distrust. Those who stared were probably not from Camelot.

Gaius grabbed the folded paper with the names while walking. He had put the paper in his pockets when he was leaving his chambers. He opened it and read some names out loud. Gwen listened and told him where they could be found. She explained to him that the first four names were foreign traders who sold silk. Morgana had been searching for the right quality, but did not take or buy anything from them. They would be crossed off the list. They were not worth looking into any further.

They encountered a shop where herbs were sold. The herbs were displayed on a cart. When they walked by, the smell of mint and basil hit them. Gwen stated that they had not been there, but Gaius wanted to investigate. He had a plan.

They approached the trader, who was busy restocking rosemary. The trader was an old man, but was most definitely younger than Gaius. He probably was around the same age as Gwen her father. His greying hair was slicked back, probably to hide some bald spots. His eyes were brown and cold. He did not show any emotion. His skin was like dry leather. The man had been out in the sun too much for it to look like that.

"Good morning," the physician began. The trader quickly glanced up and greeted them, before getting back to restocking. He was not from the city. Gaius knew where to buy herbs, if he had not gathered them himself, and had never seen this man.

"My granddaughter over here has trouble sleeping." The man had a doubtful look on his face when Gaius claimed him and Gwen to be family. Gaius decided to ignore it. "I heard multiple people in city are having trouble with sleeping. It is like a disease, the way it is spreading! Do you have anything to help my poor granddaughter sleep?"

There were only a few herbs to make a powerful sleep potion. The ones he could think of were maca, valerian and sage. Only sage was sold at other herb shops in Camelot. He noticed that the trader had valerian and sage, but no maca.

"Well, I recommend valerian. It helps to calm the mind." The trader pointed towards it. Gaius was not satisfied with their findings and asked if the man had any maca. The trader was somewhat surprised that he asked. Not many people knew their herbs.

"Yesterday someone came by with the same complaints as your granddaughter. He too could not sleep very well. He did not ask for my advice, he bought all my maca. The only thing I can offer is valerian."

They politely declined his offer. "Do you remember what this man looked like?"

"Do I look like I keep myself busy with nonsense?" he snarled. The man was annoyed. Gwen sighed and took two silver coins out of her pocket. He suddenly had all his attention focused on them.

"For that money..." His eyes eagerly scanned the coins. He put up his hand. She dropped the coins in it.

"It was a young and fit man. He did not seem tired at all. He had brown hair." He thought for a second. "The remarkable thing about him were his eyes. They were so light blue. They really stood out." That was all the trader had to say about his buyer.

They thanked him before leaving. Both could not think of a young man with remarkable light blue eyes. It had to be a stranger in the castle. They once again took out their paper and crossed off every female on the list as well as any man with dark eyes. Now there were six names remaining. Merlin he crossed off just like he did with Arthur and Uther. They were most certainly innocent.

Now, there were only three names left. Two guards of the castle and the city drunk. Three men where Gaius was sure of that they were unable to even create a potion.  
The guards were men who were full of themselves, proud to be a guard of the king's ward. The city drunk was not even able to tell the difference between water and beer, let alone creating a difficult potion. A potion that had to be brewed with care. They were left with nothing but the description given by the trader.

"Well, this is a complete bust," Guinevere exclaimed. "How are we ever going to find him?"

Gaius did not know. Rumbling sounds came from his stomach. His early breakfast caused his hunger. He asked Gwen to join him at the tavern for a second breakfast, to make up for the two silver coins she had lost. She gladly accepted. With Morgana passed out, she had nothing to do. She needed something to pass the time.

There were around eight other people in the tavern. A few were there from the night before. They had fallen asleep on their chairs. Others were there also for breakfast.

The owner of the tavern was quickly next to their table. Gaius let Gwen order for them both. Everything would do just fine for him. She ordered bacon and eggs for the both of them, along with some tea.

"We know it is a young man with exceptional light blue eyes. We know he has access to the castle," Gwen summed up when the owner left. "So, he can not be from the lower city. They are not allowed to enter the castle."

Suddenly, it hit Gaius. It could be the druid boy Mordred. The boy had light blue eyes and was capable of magic. The only thing that was not right, was his age. Mordred still had to hit his teens if the old man remembered correctly. He told Gwen about his suspicions. She remembered the boy vaguely. She too had her doubts about the age gap.

"The trader specifically mentioned a young man. He was not talking about a boy." She made a good point. They named a few other people, but had to dismiss them all. They were either not clever enough, or were not matching the description.

The owner brought them their drinks and food. They both thanked the man, and Gaius paid for it. The owner wished them a good day and went over to the men who were still asleep. Probably to wake them up and kick them out.

The physician smelled the tea. It was camomile tea and it was quite strong. He took a sip, burning his mouth in the process, and let it sit in his mouth for a few seconds. It tasted better than he expected.

The bacon was dripping with fat. The eggs were scrambled. He smiled when he saw that Guinevere was already digging into her food. He loved to see a good eater, one who did not complain about fat on her food. Merlin always had something to complain about when it came down to food.

Sitting there with Gwen, the girl who he knew since the day she was born, made him realize how much he missed Merlin. He did not have children of his own. He considered Merlin as his son. The love of his life had to flee Camelot because of her magic. He never loved another since her. He still had hope, that one day, it would be safe for her to return.

His chain of thoughts were interrupted by the girl in front of him asking if he ever was going to eat his breakfast. Soon, they were both eating and thinking in silence about a possible suspect.

Once they were done, Gwen asked if he needed any help at his home. He explained that he did, but he also asked her if she did not have any work at her home. His age prohibited some tasks. Merlin usually did those chores.  
She shook her head, explaining that her father would be working til late in the evening, which meant she had some spare time.

They chatted on the way to his chambers. Both in a better mood, now that their hunger was silenced. Gaius noticed new guards sitting on the chairs by his door. He greeted them, as did Guinevere.

They entered his home. Morgana was sitting on the bed. They were both surprised to see her awake. Gaius scurried over to her, while asking her how she was feeling. She looked up at them. She was crying.

"What is the matter, my lady?" Guinevere asked. She stepped further in the room.

"I don't know," she cried. She wrapped her arms around the physician. He patted her back, trying to calm her down. "What is happening to me, Gaius?"

"Gwen, could you get her some fresh water?" he asked. Gwen nodded and left. He needed some alone time with Morgana. He continued, "Do you remember anything from yesterday?"

They let go of each other and their eyes met. She shook her head.

"I remember walking with Merlin. That's it."

"Well, you were passed out for almost an entire day. You woke up once, but passed out again. Uther is now out in the woods looking for Arthur."

He felt her pulse. It was strong. When he felt her forehead, she had no high temperature. She stayed quiet for a while.

"I am hungry," she stated after she calmed down. That was a surprise. The potion had worn off. When Guinevere arrived with fresh water, she asked her servant if she could bring her something to eat.

Gaius stood up and walked with Gwen to the door. She went to the kitchen, he spoke with the guards. He asked them to get Uther once he was back. He did not say why. He did not want anyone else to know she was awake. He had told this to Gwen and Morgana as well.

The remainder of the morning, he was busy checking Morgana. He checked everything. She seemed fine. He asked her to recall things from the day before. They were trying to figure out how, and most of all who, poisoned her. While the two of them were busy with that, Gwen cleaned around them. She filled in details Morgana missed.

After they all ate a lunch made by the servant, Gaius demanded that the ward would get some rest. She could rest in his or Merlin's bed, as long as it was not her own bed. He knew it was safer here. She complied and went to Merlin's room, since it was more silent there.

The moment she shut the door behind her, Gaius and Guinevere looked at each other.

"Did you notice something off about her?" he softly asked.

"She is very quiet, but it could be because of the emotional day she has had." It could be, he thought to himself. Gaius wasn't 100% sure if that was the case. There was something about her, he just had to figure out what.

They checked in on Morgana a few times. She was fast asleep. They were chatting away, while she slept, not realizing the time. He told her all about the punishments he had in mind for Merlin. A few days at the pillory would do him some good. Gwen laughed. She told him that was the place she and Merlin first met.

It was now late in the afternoon. Dusk would set in soon. Gwen told him that she had to go home. Gaius's place had been cleaned entirely. She wanted to rest some before her father would be home. He understood and stated that he would be walking her home.

While they were walking, they made a deal to keep each other informed about a possible perpetrator.

They were interrupted by trumpets. Trumpets announced the arrival of the king at Camelot. Both Gaius and Guinevere turned in direction which the sound came from. It wasn't long before the people of Camelot realized something was wrong. Out of the direction, where the king was supposed to come from, people came running through the streets. They all had a panicked and shocked look on their faces.  
Knights rode close behind them. All of them were covered in filth. But that wasn't the thing that stood out the most. Sadness hung around them. Some of them were crying. Gaius was seized with fear. What happened? He was terrified to find out.

Sir Lucan appeared galloping through the crowd. He was bleeding. Sir Joseph was on his heels.

"Move! Make way!" Lucan yelled. He was trying to make room for two horses behind him. People were desperately trying to get out of their way. While he was trying to get people to move, Joseph exclaimed at guards that they needed the court's physician.

On the two horses behind them were two men, but something was off. One man was not sitting in the saddle. He was hanging over the saddle, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.

Shock nailed Gaius to the ground. Gwen shook his shoulder and said something about how they needed him. He came to his senses. As fast as he could he headed towards the bleeding man. The man, sitting on the horse, pleaded to him to save the other. He was crying.

"What on earth has happened to you?" He ran along with the horses towards the castle.

"Nimueh happened."


	8. Chapter 8

Merlin stumbled through the woods. He felt awful. He wanted to go home to have lunch with Gaius, or to clean Arthur's room. Anything but this. His tracking was going awful. He had lost the tracks about four times now. He considered using his magic to see the path ahead. At one point, he had to, but he did not know when he would be at that point.

To keep himself occupied, he picked at the dried blood on his face. It made him feel a bit cleaner. He was very aware of time. The boredom forced him to.

He urged himself to move faster, to ignore his pain and to just bite through it.

The hoof marks were deep, but when he lost the tracks for a fifth time, he had enough. He stopped walking, closed his eyes and focused all his attention on the hoof marks. The sorceress made sure he could not see her, so the only one he would be able to see was Arthur. Flashes came to his mind of a horse, walking alone with no rider.

He snapped himself out of it. It was Arthur's horse he had seen, and the horse being alone was not good. Something had happened to his friend.

The spell had worn him out, but he had to try again. Now, he was able to track him without any marks or belongings of the prince. However, it would be a lot harder on his part. Speaking the spell out loud could help a bit, but not to such an extent that it made him feel a whole lot better.

He tried anyways. All he could think of was Arthur. The way he talked, laughed and moved. Every detail came to his mind. He recalled their first meeting, how they had despised each other and how they had grown on each other.

An invisible hand pulled him in the right direction. He vaguely saw images of an agitated prince walking alone. He seemed alright.

The magic drained him, and he let go off the images, leaving him all alone in the forest again. Tiredness fell over him, but still he continued. Find Arthur and bring him to safety, he kept thinking. It was the only thought that kept him going.

He started walking and wondered how Sir Leon was doing. He was happy that he had sent him away on horseback. It meant that he would survive. He did not regret his decisions.

Kilgharrah and Gaius had been right since the beginning. Pursuing Nimueh had not been the greatest plan in the world. If he had listened to them, he would not be walking through the woods right now. Despite all his misery and the feeling of doom, he knew it was for the best.

He came across a small pond. He took the chance to drink something, since it might be his last chance before meeting with Arthur.

The water was not like you would expect. It was too clear to be water of a pond. The bottom of the pond was visible. He crouched down next to it. With caution he lowered his hand in the water. It was like ice, which was not normal for this time of year. There were no animal tracks to be found around the pond. Animals either did not trust the water or were scared of it.

The water around his hand sparkled. He was overwhelmed with tiredness. He lost control over his hand. It became completely numb. The sparkles slowly climbed up his arm. They were healing him, he realized. In fear and in awe he watched the sparkles. He did not know what to make of it. His eyelids were suddenly very heavy.

" _Don't worry, Emrys. Let us help you._ "

It was as if hundreds of small voices spoke at the same time, forming one loud voice. The voices had a calming effect on him. It was as if he had drank a sleeping potion. He was lightheaded. His vision became blurred.

"I have... I need to save Arthur."

The words slowly came to his mind. He was not sure if they came out of his mouth. He was fighting the sleepiness. His entire back became numb. The sparkles paralyzed him, leaving him falling partly into the water and partly on the ground. He shut his eyes, surrendering completely to the numbness, entering a sleep full of colors and dreams.

* * *

Sir Lucan walked behind the row of four horses. The knight made sure they were not followed. Sir Jospeh was in front, behind him the king and the prince, and Sir Louis closed the row of horses.

They tried to keep up a high pace, but still one Sir Lucan could keep up with. There was safety in numbers, so they did not want to leave him behind. Lucan had said multiple times that it was fine if they left him, but Arthur kept refusing. He was not ready to leave another friend behind.

Louis had shared his water and food with the prince, which he was grateful for. It made him feel better and it improved his focus.

"How did you escape your chambers?" His father turned to look at him.

He told the entire story about the rope and how Merlin had obtained it. There were parts he would lie to take the blame off of his servant. He insisted that he had threatened to hurt Merlin if he did not go and find him a rope. He told him that he also threatened his servant in the stables to go with him.

His father had no problem with believing the story. His father himself had put Merlin in the pillory as punishment. He knew the servant hated being punished like that. The servant was one he had never seen before. He was not good at his job, but was loyal to the Pendragon family. The only reason he got the job, was because he had saved his son's life.

Sir Joseph turned around as well. Uther did not notice, because he was too focused on his son. Joseph had this smirk on his face. He knew. Obviously, Lucan, Louis and Joseph did not believe his story, but they kept their mouths shut. They did not want to cause any more trouble for the prince. They all knew Merlin. They knew the servant would willingly walk through fire for their prince.

Joseph's horse halted, forcing the others to stop. The horse suddenly neighed loudly. They were all startled by the noise. The other horses reacted to it as well. They sensed something the men could not. They drew their swords. Sir Lucan covered their backs, while the rest looked around.

At first, there was nothing to be seen or heard, until they heard a horse. Their horses were dancing and snorting. They were hard to control.

The horse came from their left. It was walking slow. Lucan decided to approach the bushes it would have to go through. Arthur silently hoped it to carry his friends. The foreign horse stepped through the bushes, carrying a Camelot knight. He was hanging over the neck of the horse. Lucan immediately grabbed the reins.

"It is Leon," he said. He stopped the horse.

Arthur's heart skipped a beat. He put back his sword and jumped off of his horse, who was excited to see a member of his herd, and rushed over to help Leon out of saddle. It turned out Leon was switching between states of consciousness and unconsciousness. The poor man was barely able to process what was happening around him.

They lifted him off of the horse, and placed him against a tree. He sat there leaning against. They all noticed his broken leg. Uther, Louis and Joseph got off their horses as well.

"Leon! Look at me!" Arthur said as he crouched down next to him. He softly slapped his cheek. It would not hurt the knight, it was just to keep him awake. "Look at me please."

Leon's head fell forward in his hand. The knight jerked his head up when it made contact with the hand. He widened his eyes, trying to focus on the person in front of him.

"Arthur?" His voice sounded doubtful, as if he did not believe his own eyes.

"Yes, it is me." With his other hand he grabbed Leon's hand and squeezed it. He wanted answers of what had happened to them. The knight had to stay awake.

"What happened to you and Merlin? Can you tell me?"

All of them were curious to hear and got a bit closer.

"Merlin?" He said the servant's name as if he had to think about who it was. Leon almost passed out again before he was able to tell the rest of his story. "I fell off the horse and I broke my leg."

He was reaching for something on his belt. There was a water bag hooked onto it. Arthur asked if Lucan could give him some. Lucan dropped his sword on the ground, sat down next to his friend and unhooked the bag. He opened it and set it at his friend's mouth, who eagerly drank.

"Do you remember anything else?" Uther interfered. He sounded like he was in a rush. This was time consuming. If Nimueh was following them, she now had the chance to catch up with them.

Leon opened and closed his mouth a few times, before he was able to continue. "I passed out. I think Merlin turned around for me. I do not know what happened between him and Nimueh. He lay, passed out, against a tree, covered in blood. I think they fought. I don't know why she did not kill us right there and then."

"And then Merlin put you on his horse?" Arthur tried to fill in the gaps by guessing. He could guess why Nimueh did not kill them, she was not after them. Leon nodded.

"And then where did Merlin go?"

"He went after you. He is out there looking for you."

Arthur cursed and let go of Leon. That damn servant should have gone with the knight, not after him. He got up and faced his father. His father had this stern look on his face. He knew what his son wanted to do, but he would not let him.

"No, Arthur. You get up on your horse and you get your ass back home." The king pointed from his son to his horse while he was talking. "I forbid you to do otherwise. The life of a servant is nothing compared to yours."

In frustration, Arthur clenched his fists. He had to retain his own anger. Everybody noticed. Louis walked over to him and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look at the knight. His shoulders were very tense.

"We will find him, I promise you, Arthur. When Nimueh is dead, we can look for him. He knows how to take care of himself. He'll live." He was not sure whether he should continue, but when he felt Arthur relax a bit, he decided that he should. "Right now, we have to get Leon and you home."

There would be no point protesting. The prince lowered his head to the ground in defeat. He refused to look at his father.

"We now have five horses. Louis, you will take Leon with you. We have to go now." Uther commanded.

Lucan grabbed his sword and hung it back in its sheath. The three knights then lifted Sir Leon onto Louis's horse. Leon was unconscious again, which was probably for the best. With nothing to support his broken leg, the ride home would hurt like hell.

While they were busy, Arthur walked over to the stallion Merlin had ridden. Tears pricked in his eyes. He rubbed them away. He petted him and adjusted the stirrups to his own legs. Somehow, riding this horse would give him comfort. He hopped on, while the others did the same.

"We will gallop to make up for the lost time," Uther stated. "Sir Louis, you keep up a pace you are comfortable with. When we arrive in Camelot, I will send someone to meet you."

They spurred their horses. Uther was right behind Arthur to keep a close eye on him. It annoyed the prince, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had to accept it.

* * *

Merlin jolted awake. He scanned his surroundings. He still was at the pond. Despite still being covered in filth, he felt like a new man. His energy was restored. Nothing hurt. The magic from the pond had saved him.

He stared at the clear water. The sparkles were gone.

"Thank you," he whispered gratefully.

He jumped up. His search would be much smoother. He closed his eyes and let the invisible hand guide him towards Arthur. Catching up would be much easier now.

* * *

They rode for about a mile. Out of the corner of his eye Arthur saw her. He immediately held back, nearly causing a collision with his father, and turned around. How on earth could she be here? He rode back. The king was screaming at him, so angry he was. The knights stopped as well, wondering what was going.

He jumped off and walked towards her. She was wearing a bright red cloak. He had recognized it from afar. She just stood there.

"Morgana?" He pushed the bushes aside as he approached her.

She turned around. She looked like she had been crying. A smile broke through the sadness when she saw him. She sprinted at him.

They both wrapped their arms around each other. Last Arthur heard, she had collapsed and was still unconscious. He heard Uther and the knights approach them. He could hear them gasping for breath. Uther even let out a smothered cry. This surprised Arthur. He turned around to see what his father was freaking out about. It was nice to see Morgana, but surely there was no need to exaggerate.

As he turned around, he saw it. The woman he had seen on so many paintings, but never met himself. How could he? His mother was dead after all.

Igraine stood there. She was wearing a beautiful white dress. Her hair was braided and fell over her shoulder. Around her lift ring finger, she wore her wedding ring. It was exactly the same ring he wore around his neck. He felt it hanging there, almost as if it was burning into his skin.

She was beautiful to Arthur. She gave her son her brightest smile, ignoring her husband who fell to his knees. Tears were falling down the king's face.

"Igraine?" he asked.

She did not respond, as she only had eyes for Arthur. The confused knights now put the puzzle together. They knew the tragic stories about the Pendragon family. The story about the queen was one of the more famous stories. What happened to her, was unsure. They all saw the resemblance between the queen and prince. Same hair color, same smile and same figure. He definitely looked more like her than his father.

"Arthur, my boy," she whispered to him. "My baby."

The prince was nailed to the ground. He was faced with so much confusion, that he did not know what to say to her. Morgana still had her arms wrapped around him, but slowly let go of him. She took off her red cloak, revealing a red dress underneath it, and created some distance. She too realized this was a special moment between mother and son.

Igraine closed the distance between her and her son. He just stood there. Tears were forming in his eyes.

"Mother?" His throat was thick with sadness.

Right as he closed his mouth, she embraced him. She lay her head on his shoulder. He was taller than her. He closed his eyes. He felt like a little boy in her arms. They both started to sob. She kept whispering about how she had missed him and how grown up he was.

"Are you really here?"

He was afraid to ask her. He felt her shaking her head against his shoulder. His heart sunk. She was not really here. However, he would still cherish this moment. If this was the only way to meet her, so be it. He rather knew her than not at all.

"I am here with a message for you."

They created some space between each other so they could look into each others in the eyes. She softly ran her fingers along his cheeks.

"You are so handsome. I am sorry you had to endure your father all these years," she whispered to him. "All those nights, when you cried yourself to sleep, please know that I was there. I am always watching over you. Looking out for my baby. You never were alone."

"Don't be sorry, please. He raised me to be the man I am today."

"That is why I am here, Arthur. Your father raised you with so much hatred against anything supernatural." She grabbed both of his hands. "He always made you feel like you were the cause of my death. You weren't, you never were."

Uther got up, realizing what was happening.

"Look at me, Arthur. She is not real," he began. "She is an illusion. Nimueh is messing with us."

He looked at his father in confusion. He wanted her to be real. She asked him to look back at her. He complied.

"When I found out I was pregnant with you. It was both a blessing and a curse. I was so happy, but I knew, Arthur, I knew I was not able to get pregnant. Just know that I don't regret giving birth to you. I love you so much." She was reduced to tears again.

"What are you saying, mother?" She scared him.

"Arthur!" Uther warned him. The king drew his sword, urging the knights to do the same.

Igraine began to fade and knew she had to hurry. "You were born of magic. Your father made a deal with Nimueh behind my back. He is the one responsible for my death."

The prince his heart nearly stopped. She slowly faded away, and he was left speechless. Anger started to boil.


End file.
